Regina's Apple Tree
by JMolover13
Summary: King Leopold once beat Regina against her tree. Emma sees her alone out there and just wants some alone time, but Regina stiffens and freaks out... then has no choice but to tell her why. Swan Queen. Tumblr Prompt.


Emma found her lover out by her tree. She knew that Regina liked being alone when she was at the tree, but she just… couldn't help herself… it had been far too long since that had been together… Emma had had to pull late shifts and she just could barely climb in the bed and get over to Regina before she conked out for the night… and Regina had had a week of early meeting after early meeting… they hadn't gotten to hardly see each other really… So on this night that she got home… she had to break the rules a little bit and go out to her.

Regina heard someone come up behind her and before she knew it she was pressed up against the tree… All of these memories… all of these horrid memories floated to the surface of the last time she was pinned to the tree.

~0~0~

King Leopold had tried to have his way with her—like he had done from the start, but she stiffened as she'd always done from the start. He pulled from her, being a noble man, he was not going to force her into anything… but he was also a man that could not hold his anger. He held her against the tree by her throat, "Why did I ever bother? You're a queer after all." He pushed from her.

"What?" Regina looked up at him.

"I see the way you stare. The way you act with them… you don't love me… you love them as much as I do. You are nothing but a gods be damned queer!" He slapped her face hard. "Why don't you see that what you do that what you are is wrong?" I slapped her once more, but his slaps might as well have been balled fists the blows were so hard, "I mean you don't even try to hide it! I'm to call you my wife but I cannot touch you! How is that appropriate?"

"How is it appropriate to harm the woman you call your wife?" Regina spat at him and tried to run passed him, but he caught her and threw her down.

He knelt down and held her up by her throat, "If I'd have known that the woman that saved my girl was as you are, I would never have bothered with a thanks. I would have burned you at the stake then." He shoved her back to the ground.

"And I would have gladly accepted." Regina said, "I would rather die a thousand deaths lay with any man as disgusting as you."

He reached for her and squeezed her arms until they both knew she would feel pain for the next few days, "You dare call me disgusting?"

"You are the one that has bruised your wife. You are the one that continually bruises your wife."

"And you are the one that sleeps with the same sex! I suggest you retract that finger, wife because we share blame for this relationship."

"I share blame for a relationship I did not want?"

"You said I do."

"It was the lesser of two evils." Regina snarled at him.

He pulled her up and pushed her against the tree hard once more, "Then you should be thanking me everyday for getting you away from her. You should give me what I want."

"I will never give you what you want."

With that he slapped her four more times before he stalked away.

~0~0~

As Emma's lips touched her ladylove's neck, she realized something was very, very wrong. She pulled a little and looked at the brunette.

"No! I won't give you what you want!" Regina spat out and pushed on Emma away from her… had she had the courage, she'd have pushed the King away in the same manner.

Emma pushed back completely and stared at her in confusion, "Honey… I… Okay… I'm sorry… I just missed you…" Emma's hands were up in surrender. As she was talking she saw the recognition come into Regina's eyes.

"Emma." Regina finally said.

"Regina… what was that?" She came a smidge closer.

"Nothing I—"

"Something!"

Regina looked down. Her lip was quivering, but Emma wouldn't have been able to see it if she tried. She took a few moments to think about what to say to Emma, "Your grandfather was an abusive man…"

"What?"

"He never laid a hand on your mother… don't worry about that." She calmed the woman before her, "He was… frustrated because I couldn't give him what he wanted." Emma only stared, "I was as gay in the enchanted forest as I am now… I did not pressure me into consummating the marriage, but he did take his frustration out on me… He always targeted me here… at my apple tree."

"That's why no one is allowed near it when you're here…" Emma walked forward a little more, "Honey I'm so sorry." She wrapped Regina in a hug, but when she felt Regina stiffen, she pulled back. "Fuck!" She hissed before she turned around and kicked at the yard a few times in anger then fell to her knees and sat there a moment trying not to damn her granddad to hell, but still… damning the man that beat her lover to hell.

"Darling…?" Regina's voice was hesitant.

Emma turned around on her knees, "Baby…" Emma stood back up, "I'm sorry… I just… I just want to hold you and tell you that it's going to be alright… I just want to take it back but he's not here, you've stiffened up every time I've come near you tonight and damn it, I left my time machine in my other pants so going back there and punching him a few times in the face is out of the question…"

Regina walked hesitantly the two steps over to her, "I cherish you… you know that, right?"

"Emma nodded, I love you too." She looked up at her, "You are so very fucked up, but I love you too, even when you can't actually say the word 'love' because it's a weakness and you're feeling particularly weak."

"I do…" She nodded to Emma, "I do that." She leaned in and kissed her, "I would like to make a happy memory under my tree… if you're up for it?"

"Baby honey.. I'm always up for anything that includes you and happy…" She smiled a sad smile at her girlfriend before she was being kissed again.

They laid down on the ground just next to the apple tree and made one of the best memories either of them would ever have.


End file.
